With a whoosh, Ji Yun'er had already fallen toward the ground. At that moment, Shen Yanjun, face ashen, rushed over and instantly blocked Zhong Kui's path, engaging him in combat once more. But Shen Yanjun's ghostly aura was now clearly very weak; after only a few brief exchanges, Zhong Kui had already stabbed him several times. Still, Shen Yanjun held on, hoping Yun Mei would escape quickly.
"Zhong Kui, are you really going to attack a woman?"
Shen Yanjun roared in anger, but Zhong Kui seized the opportunity to slip past him and chased after Yun Mei.
"This has nothing to do with gender."
Zhong Kui's killing intent was set; the red ghostly aura surging around him grew ever stronger. Ji Yun'er and Shen Yanjun struggled to catch up.
At this moment, I looked at Yin Choujian, still half crouched on the ground, eyes closed—I had no idea what he was trying to do. Red Hair was also moving closer, while Bo Ziran, his ghost soul gravely injured, could only leave the ground first and hide inside the cave.
Facing the relentless pursuit of Zhong Kui, Yun Mei stopped. At that moment, a faint black glow landed in front of her.
"Nightmare..."
Amid loud cries, Ouyang Meng appeared before Yun Mei. Just as Zhong Kui rushed past, the blackness before him suddenly transformed into the gaping maw of a giant beast, snapping shut and swallowing him whole.
Yet in an instant, as crimson flames burst from within the black beast, Zhong Kui had already stabbed his sword through Ouyang Meng's body. Eyes wide with disbelief, Ouyang Meng still clutched a ball of purple light in one hand, but Zhong Kui didn't even glance at him as he lunged straight for Yun Mei.
Yuna Ji and Lord Shenyan were already in pursuit, but it seemed too late. Yvonne May raised her hands, streams of black and white energy swirling from her palms toward Quentin Kue. Yet Quentin Kue now understood Yvonne May's power well; instead of confronting her head-on, he instantly dissolved into drifting red mist. Yvonne May's attack missed his form entirely, and Quentin Kue appeared at her side, mouth wide open, a ball of flame gathering in his jaws.
"Quentin Kue, don't go too far."
With a rush, John Chou appeared behind Quentin Kue, head bowed, his entire body radiating blood-red particles. His eyes were icy and merciless, and the Rage Blood sword in his hand flashed with a light as vivid as fresh blood.
Quentin Kue ignored John Chou; his only goal was to eliminate Yvonne May, since John Chou's power could not harm him.
Just as Quentin Kue was about to strike down Yvonne May, his expression shifted. He spun around as the Rage Blood sword lunged straight for him, and he raised the Peachwood Blade in his hand to block.
With a sharp crack, John Chou's Rage Blood sword sliced cleanly through Quentin Kue's wooden blade. Quentin Kue's eyes widened as I saw the overwhelming ghostly aura burst forth from John Chou, surpassing Quentin Kue in an instant.
With a tearing sound, John Chou drove his sword into Quentin Kue's chest. Quentin Kue's eyes went wide, and behind him, Redmond burst out laughing.
"You did it, John Chou. That power of yours is something else."
Blood-red particles kept pouring into Quentin Kue's body, while the ghostly aura around John Chou vanished in an instant. He turned his head away.
"You big idiot, what are you doing here?"
As John Chou roared, the moment he pulled out the Rage Blood sword, the ghostly aura around Quentin Kue exploded, blasting everything nearby away.
A massive surge of ghostly energy appeared in the air, and all the Ghost Sovereigns gathered together, silently watching the giant sphere of ghost aura in the sky, expanding like a dark sun. The whole of Abyssal Hell began to tremble.
Gradually, the ghost aura faded. Quentin Kue clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground, half-crouched, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at those already sitting, unable to move.
Quentin Kue's face was a mask of disbelief. Cracks appeared across John Chou's body, his ghost aura wildly unstable, and his ghost soul was gravely wounded.
"John Chou, you..."
Redmond spoke, while John Chou raised a hand, silently staring at Quentin Kue.
In that instant, I felt the terrifying nature of the killing instinct—it allowed John Chou's power to surge past his opponent in a flash. As a Ghost Sovereign, John Chou could easily deliver a fatal blow.
"Looks like you've figured it out. That killing instinct is truly formidable. But John Chou pulled back before his power reached its peak—enough to instantly kill Quentin Kue—because he couldn't withstand such overwhelming force himself. So now, Quentin Kue is only wounded, and the Blood Fiend Power has been infused into him; he won't be getting up anytime soon."
"Strike while he's down—finish him off."
Yuna Ji rose to her feet, but Mona Ouyang immediately stopped her.
"Haven't you heard? Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse. If you want to throw your life away, go alone—don't drag us with you."
Just as Mona Ouyang said, although Quentin Kue had been struck by John Chou's Blood Fiend Power and his strength was wildly unstable and chaotic, the force he unleashed was still more than any of the Ghost Sovereigns could bear.
Suddenly, I realized something and stared blankly at the Ghost Ancestor.
"John Chou could use that instinct to kill you, couldn't he?"
The Ghost Ancestor nodded.
"In theory, yes. But in reality, with John Chou's power only just restored in this era, he can't do it. Even at his peak, John Chou couldn't manage it. However, if things keep going this way, he might just be able to kill Yama."
I understood completely now—great power demands even greater restraint. In theory, if John Chou used his killing instinct to instantly surpass the Ghost Ancestor's strength, he could destroy the Ghost Ancestor. But the moment that power exploded, John Chou would be reduced to ashes; he'd never be able to wield it properly.
Earlier, when Quentin Kue's ghost soul was wounded, John Chou's own ghost soul suffered severe damage. Now cracks had appeared across his body, fragments constantly flaking away.
"John Chou, what exactly did you use just now? How did you manage to hurt me?"
John Chou smiled. Lord Shenyan and Redmond helped him to his feet, preparing to leave.
"Use your imagination."
Soon, the Ghost Sovereigns vanished. Quentin Kue continued to inspect his own body. Though his ghost aura was still chaotic, the disruptive force within him began to dissipate, thanks to his own immense power. Gradually, Quentin Kue stood up, but his ghost soul remained damaged. He didn't choose to continue the chase; instead, he seemed intent on recovering before the next battle, glancing back at the entrance he'd sealed.
"Why did that woman fly this way?"
Quentin Kue muttered to himself, puzzled, as he walked to the doorway and watched in silence.
I was also confused. Yvonne May seemed to be deliberately coming this way, but what was her goal? There was clearly no path here, yet she'd led Quentin Kue right to this spot.
The Ghost Ancestor raised a hand, drawing us closer to Quentin Kue. I noticed the black chains coiled around the door were starting to loosen, and Quentin Kue's eyes widened in surprise.
"It's a reversal of time."
I stared at the Ghost Ancestor in shock.
"When did you do it?"
"It's not just living beings that have time—objects, air, even power have their own timelines. But Yvonne May's strength is far too weak now. Returning this gate to a time before the chains appeared is extremely difficult; it can only be done little by little, and it's a long, complicated process."
Sure enough, inside the cave where the Ghost Sovereigns had gathered, Yvonne May revealed the truth. She had already linked the door's timeline, using her own power to slowly reverse time so the chains would vanish and they could escape.
"You can really do something like that?"
Redmond stared at Yvonne May in disbelief. John Chou was the most badly wounded, sitting quietly in the corner. Next was Basil Bertram, already in a state of self-imposed isolation, his body wrapped in thick black tendrils as if healing himself. Yuna Ji and Lord Shenyan were both in rough shape.
Redmond was clearly frustrated, but the facts were undeniable. After a century, they'd finally made progress, yet against Quentin Kue, they were powerless. In just two days, four Ghost Sovereigns had suffered serious wounds, and Redmond, Yvonne May, and Mona Ouyang were all unsuited for direct, head-on battle.
"No need to rush. Think carefully, keep growing stronger. If we keep at it, we'll catch up to Quentin Kue eventually. He's already reached his limit as a ghost—there's little chance he'll break through again. But for us, the room to improve is far greater than his."
John Chou smiled faintly, showing no sign of the near annihilation they'd just faced. Instead, he seemed delighted, as if he'd discovered something wondrous.
"That guy will definitely be hunting for us everywhere. How are we supposed to find time to train?"
Redmond asked excitedly, and John Chou replied with a smile.
"Splitting up is the answer. Now that Quentin Kue is wounded, he'll be frantically searching for us for a week. All we need to do is avoid him. Before that week ends, we'll head to the surface—when the timelines shift. Do you know why I told you to meet here once a week? So we wouldn't scatter into other timelines. We'll use this cave as our base; just don't stay inside except for meetings. As long as Quentin Kue can't find this cave, we can train in peace."